Julian: Welcome to the world of computer planned obsolescence!
PCI-E cards are still expensive as PCI-E has not made much of an inroad in PC architecture yet. More in Mac than PC. Also, the specs for PCI-E cards have not shaken out yet. So there are quite a lot of variables in the quality of the cards on the market. The idea of an external card is a good one, but understand that this will add overhead to your computer. Depending on the computer, this may impact the "responsiveness" of the software you are running on it, especially if you have multiple processes going at the same time. I considered the very inexpensive Signal Link, but it has no rig control and you cant use it to send true CW. It has a VOX circuit that it uses to key the PTT or Key line. Works, but not ideal. I used to use a Behringer external sound card on my laptop (a rather old Dell 1.2Ghz machine) and it worked well. The internal sound card on it was true garbage. The Behringer UCA202 was $29 US at an internet retailer. http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEHUCA202 Its basically a Signal Link without the VOX keying circuit. It worked just fine, but I still needed two com ports on the machine, one for CW the other for CAT. Too many wires. For me the solution was a MicroHam MicroKeyer (the original model) which I found at a SK sale. It works perfectly, no issues, and relieves me of using the serial port on the computer completely. With it, I use two USB cables, one for the sound card and one for the Micro Keyer. But still you need audio cables to the interface from the sound card. A more elegant solution is the MicroKeyer 2. This admittedly more expensive solution has a built in sound card. Now a single USB cable between the computer and the MicroKeyer takes care of things for all modes, including SSB DVK. It has dual receive inputs for my dual receiver K3 too which I use for Diversity RTTY with two MMTTY windows in N1MMLogger. I currently use the MicroKeyer 1 and UCA202 on my secondary Kenwood TS570D and the MicroKeyer 2 on my K3. The rigs share a single computer (a Dell GX280 3.4GHz P4 with 1M RAM) with no issues. Router has a setup "tab" for each interface and both work independently of each other. Each can have their own settings and for my use, I have enough virtual ports to do everything I need to do. I can even use my Bencher paddles with the interfaces, switched by a small box with a 3PDT miniature switch. Flawless CW, RTTY, PSK, DVK and never a burp or slowdown with both the old Dell laptop when portable or the Dell Desktop when at home. This setup works for me. Your mileage may vary. 73 -Lu W4LT- >> Apologies for the OT question but I'm at my wits end. I just bought a new >> computer for the shack and find that I can't install my SB Live 24 card that >> I kept from the old one because it doesn't have PCI Slots. Instead, it has >> what I've been told are PCI Express slots. Even my local computer shop hadn't >> heard of a PC without PCI slots, and said PCI EXpress is only for graphics >> cards. But that can't be right as the computer has 4 of them, 3 short ones >> which are PCIe x1 and one long one which is PCIe x16. >> >> The built in Realtek sound card has all kinds of controls for special >> effects, karaoke etc. but I can't find an option for "look, just convert it >> to digital as accurately as possible and don't mess with it." In any case, I >> really want to use the internal board for normal audio as it has front panel >> sockets for headphones etc. which is why I had the second sound card. However >> when I search for PCI Express sound cards they are all pretty expensive. The >> cheapest seems to be an Asus Xonar DX 7.1. I admit the DX part sounds >> promising, but it still has these special effects features and outputs for >> subwoofers and so on none of which I need. >> >> What's a guy who just wants to work digital modes to do? A few years ago you >> could buy a 16-bit ISA sound card for 15 quid. Surely we don't all have to go >> out and splash ?200 on a RigExpert or MicroHam now? Someone suggested I got a >> "cheap USB audio device" but how cheap is OK? You can buy these things on >> eBay for $2, I kid you not, but I bought one once and tossed it after 5 >> minutes it was so bad. >> >> I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has had this problem and solved it >> satisfactorily because I'm getting withdrawal symptoms not being able to work >> digimodes. Is it just me, or is technology getting way too complicated? >> >> ----- Julian, G4ILO. K2 #392 K3 #222. * G4ILO's Shack - >> http://www.g4ilo.com * KComm - http://www.g4ilo.com/kcomm.html * KTune - >> http://www.g4ilo.com/ktune.html No virus found in this outgoing message Checked by PC Tools AntiVirus (6.1.0.25 - 6.14250). http://www.pctools.com/free-antivirus/ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
